The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1887-12-16
opposed % nRoltEng.


Inc bolts and contests OF the ire
formers" are conceived and organized
/ in New Orleans or Shreveport and or,
dered from these points, and it is in
these two towns that the rule or rnin
policy prevails which would disrupt
the Louisiana Democracy rather than
yield to the defeat that is inevitable.
| 1t is quite evident that there Is a
large element among "tho reformers''
4 who fear that these rule or ruin men
are going too far and that they are
endangering the safety of the party (;
and there are few of them who re.
fuse to be dictated to and refuse to
follow the instructions sent out by the
Nichols managers-''bolt when you
arc beaten"
When fairly defeated in Acadia, the
local supporters of Gen. Nichols de-
clined to organize a frivolous and dis
honest contest, although urged to do
so by the New Orleans 'treformers.n
Similarly in st. Martin, the local chief
of the Nichols forces, to the surprise
and disgust of the New Orleans re-
form coterie, gracefully acknowledged
defeat, and made the election of the
MCEnery delegates unanimous In De-
Soto parish despite the urgent appeals
Of the Shreveport reformers, large
majority of the Nichollsites refused to
have anything to do with a bolt, and
bore emphatic testimony to the oEec-
tion of the McEnery delegates. There
was a bolt made by a minority of "the
reformers;" but the great mass of
them refused to have anything to do
with it.
We say this as o matter of Justice
to those reformers who acknowledge
defeat; who are willing to abide by
the decision of the voters, and who do
not propose to disrupt the party. I'm
fortunately, there are enough of the
other way of thinking to endanger the
Democracy, and even where majority
are opposed to boiling, there is often a
minority of irreconciliables willing,
indeed anxious, TO cause trouble. We
had a specimen of this in De Soto,
where a mere fraction of the reform
wing insisted upon setting up the ban
ner Of revolt.
We called the attention of the press
of the State TO this danger, few days
ago, and we arc glad to see that some
Of the Nichols papers recognize this
and are calling upon their reform
friends not to bolt always when beaten,
The Claiborne Guardian, which is for
Nichols, does not like the reform"
trick by which delegates were select
ed in Webster The Lafayette Ad-
Vertjser, also for Nichols, does not in
dorse the rule or ruin policy of its
faction. The Iberia Farmer, formerly
for Nichols, abandons him because it
believes that the factional, bitter spirit
of the reformers will cause a bolt at
the State Convention-"cu the apple
in two" as it expresses it. The Robe
line Exporter, which favors Cunning
ham, appreciates thoroughly the dan
ger which we pointed out. 1t "can-
not sec where it will end dare not
look into the future without fear and
trembling, as it is perfectly apparent
on all sides, that the Democracy is be-
ing prepared for one of the most try
ing ordeals that ever tested the
strength of a party inside it's own
ranks. That the fight will end inside
the ranks does not now seem probable. "
! We add these warnings to our own,
and we could add many more. There
are, and we have shown, "reformers'
willing TO yield when defeated, as in
Acadia and St. Martin but there is an.
other element of that faction bitter
and vindictiye, willing, indeed deter,
mined TO bolt, whatever effect it may
have on the party; and unfortunately
this element is large enough and bitter
= enough to threaten danger to the
Democracy of Louisiana. These "re
formers" have shown how unwilling
they are to yield to any defeat, or tc
abide by the popular vote they have
resorted to tricks, chicanery and bolt
ing, and they have persisted in th,
most revolutionary policy, despite thu
warnings of their own friends. In vair
Messrs. Goss, Wemple, Foster, Roberts
Smith, Blair, the leading Nichols mel
in De Soto, protested against boil
there as absurd, unfair and suicidal
DIR. Boiling Williams persisted, ant
"the Teformere" call it a contest. W.
are afraid, despite the protests o.
some ''reform" papers, despite the wis,
and Party-like action Of Major FourneI
and Others in St. Martin and Acadia
; that there are many Boiling William
in the Nichols ranke, whom neithe
the inteFests.of the party or of th,
State nor the appeals Of their friend
can restrain from their mad course.